Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs) are a family of DNA binding proteins that reside in the cytoplasm until they are activated by tyrosine phosphorylation. This phosphorylation event is catalyzed by members of the Janus family of tyrosine kinases, including JAK3 (Ihle, J. N. Adv. Immunol. 60: 1-35, 1995; Witthuhn, B. A., et al., Leukemia and Lymphoma. 32: 289-297, 1999).
The dual role of STATs as signaling molecules and transcription factors is reflected in their structure. All STAT proteins contain a DNA binding domain, an SH2 domain, and a transactivation domain necessary for transcriptional induction. In unstimulated cells, latent forms of STATs are predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. Ligand binding induces STAT proteins to bind with their SH2 domains to the tyrosine phosphorylated motifs in the intracellular domains of various transmembrane cell surface receptors (Horvath, C. M. and Darnell, J. E., Curr. Opin. Cell. Biol. 9(2): 233-239., 1997; Levy, D. E., Cytokine Growth Factor Rev. 8(1): 81-90, 1997).
Once STATs are bound to receptors, the receptor-associated Janus kinases (JAKs) phosphorylate STATs on a single tyrosine residue located near the SH2 domain. Two STATs then dimerize through specific reciprocal SH2-phosphotyrosine interactions. The dimerized STAT proteins can also form complexes with other DNA-binding proteins. The STAT dimers/complexes next translocate to the nucleus and utilize their DNA binding domain to interact with DNA response elements in promoters of target genes (Demoulin, J. B., et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 16: 4710-6, 1996). STATs then interact directly or indirectly, via their transactivation domain, with components of the RNA polymerase II complex to activate transcription of target genes. Different ligands employ specific JAK and STAT family members, thus utilization of this pathway mandates specificity in signaling cascades and contributes to a diverse array of cellular responses. Janus kinases, including JAK3, are abundantly expressed in primary leukemic cells from children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, and recent studies have correlated STAT activation in ALL cells with signals regulating apoptosis (Demoulin, J. B., et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 16: 4710-6, 1996; Jurlander, J., et al., Blood. 89: 4146-52, 1997; Kaneko, S., Suzuki, et al., Clin. Exp. Immun. 109: 185-193, 1997; and Nakamura, N., et al., J. Biol. Chem. 271: 19483-8, 1996).
Thus, JAK-3 is an important enzyme that plays an essential role in the function of lymphocytes, macrophages, and mast cells. Compounds which inhibit JAK-3 would be expected to be useful for treating or preventing diseases or conditions wherein the function of lymphocytes, macrophages, or mast cells is implicated, such as, leukemia, lymphoma, transplant rejection (e.g. pancreas islet transplant rejection, bone marrow transplant applications (e.g. graft-versus-host disease), autoimmune diseases (e.g. diabetes), and inflammation (e.g. asthma, inflammation associated with sun burn, and skin cancer). A continuing need exists for compounds and methods that are useful for the treatment and/or prevention of such conditions and diseases.